


Cuddling Prompts 16. With Rain Outside

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Cuddling Prompts [16]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Chronic Pain, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 12:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21457915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: Bad weather and chronic pain are a bad combination - for both of them.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Cuddling Prompts [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533584
Comments: 14
Kudos: 165





	Cuddling Prompts 16. With Rain Outside

These days Tony didn't even need a weather forecast to know if it was changing for the worse. If he woke up with a dull pain in his chest and trouble breathing it was turning cold and damp. And even if he wouldn't feel it himself - one look at Stephen would have told him anyway.

A low hiss of pain, quickly muffled, brought Tony back from the bathroom. The moment he saw Stephen, miserably curled up on his right side, his hands helplessly pressed against his chest, his heart broke and his own pain was forgotten.

"Hey," he said softly, already on the way back to bed. Instead of settling in behind Stephen he went down to the floor in front of him. "I know. I feel it, too." He'd woken up struggling to draw a deep breath and had known in that moment that Stephen's hands would be nearly useless today. "Let me see?"

It took Stephen a moment to gather his courage but then he offered his right hand. The left stayed pressed against his chest. Tony took it with the greatest of care. He pressed a gentle kiss against the back of Stephen's hand before he began to massage it like he'd been shown. Stephen hissed and flinched but shook his head at Tony's questioning look. It always hurt even more in the beginning, but it would allow him to do some basic things over the day. After a few minutes Stephen wordlessly offered the left one and closed his eyes again.

"Will you stay home today?" Tony asked. He traced the scars on Stephen's hand, trying to get a feel on where the worst spots were. _Please say yes_, he begged silently. He hated it when Stephen went out with his hands like this. The heavy rain would assure that despite Tony's ministrations they would only get minimally better, if that. "The weather is shit, I'm going to do a home office day anyway. Or maybe I'm going to do nothing. Privilege of being the boss. We could spend the day cuddling."

"I'll stay," Stephen promised after an eternity of silence and after Tony had finished the light massage. He watched like a hawk when Stephen carefully rotated his wrists. Tony hated the way how blank Stephen's face was in moments like that; the pure resignation scared him more than any amount of rage and bitterness ever could.

"Thank you," the said in an attempt to drive the dark thoughts away and smiled up at Stephen. He got a slight smile back in return.

After a moment he forced his own aching body up and dragged himself back to bed. It took a moment of careful rearranging but after a while he was spooning Stephen from behind and Stephen had bent his body in a way that allowed him to be in Tony's arms without touching his hurting chest and shoulder.

As soon as the painkiller kicked in he pulled Stephen closer to hold him in a protective embrace. Stephen followed with barely any hesitation and let himself be cuddled by Tony with a happy sigh. There could be worse ways to spend a bad pain day, Tony decided and pressed a light kiss against the nape of Stephen's neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/187704901631/for-cuddle-prompts-2-and-16-because-i-headcanon).


End file.
